PROPOSITION 5.
Pyramids which are of the same height and have triangular bases are to one another as the bases.
Let there be pyramids of the same height, of which the triangles
ABC,
DEF are the bases and the points
G,
H the vertices; I say that, as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF, so is the pyramid
ABCG to the pyramid
DEFH.
For, if the pyramid
ABCG is not to the pyramid
DEFH as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF, then, as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF, so will the pyramid
ABCG be either to some solid less than the pyramid
DEFH or to a greater.
Let it, first, be in that ratio to a less solid
W, and let the pyramid
DEFH be divided into two pyramids equal to one another and similar to the whole and into two equal prisms; then the two prisms are greater than the half of the whole pyramid. [
XII. 3]
Again, let the pyramids arising from the division be similarly divided, and let this be done continually until there are left over from the pyramid
DEFH some pyramids which are less than the excess by which the pyramid
DEFH exceeds the solid
W. [X. I]
Let such be left, and let them be, for the sake of argument,
DQRS,
STUH; therefore the remainders, the prisms in the pyramid
DEFH, are greater than the solid
W.
Let the pyramid
ABCG also be divided similarly, and a similar number of times, with the pyramid
DEFH; therefore, as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF, so are the prisms in the pyramid
ABCG to the prisms in the pyramid
DEFH. [
XII. 4]
But, as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF, so also is the pyramid
ABCG to the solid
W; therefore also, as the pyramid
ABCG is to the solid
W, so are the prisms in the pyramid
ABCG to the prisms in the pyramid
DEFH; [V. II] therefore, alternately, as the pyramid
ABCG is to the prisms in it, so is the solid
W to the prisms in the pyramid
DEFH. [
V. 16]
But the pyramid
ABCG is greater than the prisms in it; therefore the solid
W is also greater than the prisms in the pyramid
DEFH.
But it is also less: which is impossible.
Therefore the prism
ABCG is not to any solid less than the pyramid
DEFH as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF.
Similarly it can be proved that neither is the pyramid
DEFH to any solid less than the pyramid
ABCG as the base
DEF is to the base
ABC.
I say next that neither is the pyramid
ABCG to any solid greater than the pyramid
DEFH as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF.
For, if possible, let it be in that ratio to a greater solid
W; therefore, inversely, as the base
DEF is to the base
ABC, so is the solid
W to the pyramid
ABCG.
But, as the solid
W is to the solid
ABCG, so is the pyramid
DEFH to some solid less than the pyramid
ABCG, as was before proved; [
XII. 2, Lemma] therefore also, as the base
DEF is to the base
ABC, so is the pyramid
DEFH to some solid less than the pyramid
ABCG: [V. II] which was proved absurd.
Therefore the pyramid
ABCG is not to any solid greater than the pyramid
DEFH as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF.
But it was proved that neither is it in that ratio to a less solid.
Therefore, as the base
ABC is to the base
DEF, so is the pyramid
ABCG to the pyramid
DEFH. Q. E. D.